What are vitamins, what are they and why are they needed for health?
What are they for, what products are they present in, do synthetic vitamins for health work, can you harm yourself with overdoses, and is it worth bothering with the vitamin issue in principle with a balanced diet. I’ll tell you about all this in simple, understandable language.
Vitamins are a group of organic low-molecular compounds, different in chemical nature and physicochemical properties, absolutely necessary for the normal functioning of the body. They are essential nutrients, since they are generally not synthesized by the human body and are supplied as part of food products. The only exception is nicotinic acid. In addition, vitamin C and a number of B vitamins are produced by normal intestinal microflora. But who has it completely normal is the question.
Why are these magical substances so necessary? Indeed, unlike macronutrients, such as amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, they are not plastic material and are not used by the body as an energy source, like carbohydrates or fat. The fact is that vitamins for health participate in various chemical transformations and have a regulating effect on metabolism. In fact, they are involved in almost all biochemical and physiological processes in the body.
There are two types of vitamins for health with their own specific functions:
I. Water soluble:
- vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (very important for the absorption of iron, the formation of collagen – ligaments, joints, skin, strengthens the immune system);
- P (bioflavonoids);
- PP (nicotinic acid) (participates in many redox reactions);
- B vitamins (B1 – thiamine, B2 – riboflavin, B3 – pantothenic acid, B6 – pyridoxine, B9 – folic acid, B12 – cobalamin) (participate in energy lipid and amino acid metabolism, in oxidation reactions and other transformations of fatty acids and sterols, are enzymes of nitrogen metabolism, participate in the breakdown of fatty acids and branched-chain amino acids, are important for the nervous system, division and formation of new cells).
II. Fat soluble:
- vitamin A (retinol and carotenoids) (important for the eyes, the creation and functioning of the mucous membrane and skin);
- D (calciferol) (participates in maintaining calcium homeostasis in the body; that is, the health of bones, teeth and other systems that use calcium and phosphates depends on it);
- E (tocopherol) (biological antioxidant, protects cell membranes);
- K (K1 – phylloquinone, K2 – menaquinones, K3 – menadione) (participates in the process of blood clotting).
There are only 13 vitamins for health and their functions are actually much greater than those described above, but this is not a textbook. It is only important to understand that these are extremely important things.
But besides them, there are also vitamin-like substances. They are somewhat different functionally from vitamins for health. Some perform a plastic function (choline and inositol). Some are synthesized in the body, for example, orotic and lipoic acids, as well as carnitine. F, that is, OMEGA-3-unsaturated fatty acids also belong to vitamin-like substances and are involved in a host of beneficial processes in the body (they have an anti-inflammatory effect, inhibit blood clotting, maintain the tone of blood vessels, normalize blood pressure, have antioxidant properties and are a structural component of cellular membranes of the body).
In addition, there are also so-called provitamins, which are also precursors of fat-soluble vitamins, thanks to which the latter can be synthesized in the body. But these are completely higher matters.
It is more interesting to mention the main of the 30 known microelements, which, although in insignificant quantities (no more than 200 mg per day), are still necessary for the human body. In various types of multivitamin complexes, they are usually presented in the form of organic compounds: bromine, vanadium, iron, iodine, cobalt, silicon, manganese, copper, molybdenum, selenium, fluorine, chromium and zinc.
An interesting fact is that an acute lack of iodine leads to a disease called cretinism. Although this phenomenon no longer occurs in the form of the disease in the modern world (although in other forms – everywhere), a decrease in mental abilities of up to 15% with moderate iodine deficiency is quite a common fact. So use iodized salt and you will be happy.
It is more interesting to mention the main of the 30 known microelements, which, although in insignificant quantities (no more than 200 mg per day), are still necessary for the human body. In various types of multivitamin complexes, they are usually presented in the form of organic compounds: bromine, vanadium, iron, iodine, cobalt, silicon, manganese, copper, molybdenum, selenium, fluorine, chromium and zinc.
An interesting fact is that an acute lack of iodine leads to a disease called cretinism. Although, in the form of a disease in the modern world, this phenomenon no longer occurs (although in other forms – everywhere), a decrease in mental abilities up to 15% with moderate iodine deficiency is quite common.
An interesting fact is that an acute lack of iodine leads to a disease called cretinism. Although this phenomenon no longer occurs in the form of the disease in the modern world (although in other forms – everywhere), a decrease in mental abilities of up to 15% with moderate iodine deficiency is quite a common fact. So use iodized salt and you will be happy.
Synthetic vitamins for health and vitamin myths
It is well known the first myth about getting vitamins for health from natural products above. The fact is that even to get the daily requirement of the simplest vitamin C, you will have to drink 3-4 liters of apple juice from fresh apples. Or eat 1.2 kg of cabbage, but a day after harvesting it loses half of its vitamin C. If we are talking about peeled vegetables and fruits, then after a few months of storage they also lose most of their vitamins, then add cooking and exposure to ultraviolet radiation (destroying vitamin E in the same oils).
If we talk about meat and animal products, we have the same problem, which takes its roots from plant-based agricultural products, which over hundreds of years of selective breeding have lost at least half of the vitamins of their wild relatives.
And all this is not to mention the quality of food for the majority of ordinary people, which leaves much to be desired. So there is nothing surprising in the presence of hypovitaminosis in 75–90% of the population of the post-Soviet space (incomplete satisfaction of the body in vitamins), and some may even have vitamin deficiency (severe form of vitamin deficiency).
Synthetic vitamins for health are not a panacea; after all, sensible nutrition comes first. After all, we don’t live by vitamins alone. But they are a good help. Although there is also the opposite opinion, they say that all this is “chemistry” and evil.
Well, I won’t argue or prove my point with foam at the mouth. I will only note that I myself have been taking sports multivitamins without a break for 3-4 years now, and I perfectly remember the significant improvement in my condition after starting to take these supplements. We are talking about both general well-being and immunity.